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In-Depth Reviews And Recommendations - Without The BS

Michel Thomas Method Review – Avoid At All Costs

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Quick Review
Summary: One of the most famous language teaching courses out there, Michel Thomas is a household name and his audio lessons aim to teach you your language of choice, naturally, intuitively and without any memorization involved. With 18 languages for you to choose from, the courses are aimed at absolute beginners and at the end you should be able to understand and speak to a basic level. I tried out the French foundation course and found it to be severely lacking and as such cannot recommend it at all. You may, however, have more luck with the other language courses that they offer.

Quality
Very easy to use, the audios are decent quality but Michel Thomas’ discouraging manner means that students get flustered and this detracts from the content’s quality.
Thoroughness
Michel Thomas doesn’t go into much depth and any explanations he offers up are just at a surface level.
Value
I wouldn’t use these even if they were free due to Michel Thomas’ teaching style which ruins the material.
I Like
Um…in all honesty I’m not sure if I enjoyed any of it!

I Don’t Like
Michel Thomas never praises the students, often interrupts them and creates a negative learning environment.

The pacing of the lessons often seems off to me and in certain places they feel very hurried.

All of the lessons are almost identical and so it does get quite monotonous working through them.

Languages: Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Modern Standard), Dutch, French, Greek, German, Hindi, Italian, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.

Price: There are several different courses available with prices ranging from $11.99 to $100.

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The 24 Best Youtube Channels For Learning German In 2019

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Youtube is a fantastic resource for studying German. Similar to podcasts, they’re a great way to add some extra listening practice to your study routine. While they may lack the built-in structure of some online German courses, they’re nevertheless super useful.

Incorporating Youtube videos into your routine can make studying German a lot more fun. Not only that, since they’re created by native German speakers, you’ll get a more in-depth look at what the life of a German “Youtuber” or “Vlogger” is all about.

In the process, you’ll improve your German and understanding of German culture.

Here are 25 of the top German YouTube channels for you to add to your playlist. We’ve sorted them into beginner, intermediate, and advanced categories so you can find the ones that are the right fit for your current level.
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News In Slow German Review – Makes Studying More Fun

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Quick Review
Summary: News in Slow German is one of the most fun resources around. Each week, they release a new 30-minute episode that’s ideal for those with an intermediate level of German. While that may not sound like much content, their grammar and expressions catalogs are massive and can provide countless hours of study materials. The current events part of the program is interesting and the grammar and expressions parts are much more fun than you’d expect, while aging very well. Overall, I was impressed with the natural, engaging, and effective way that they teach German.

Quality 
An all around well designed resource.
Thoroughness 
Great for intermediate levels but beginner and advanced students should look elsewhere.
Value 
Somewhat expensive but there’s more content than you initially expect.
I Like
 Using current events to learn German makes studying more interesting.

 Grammar and expressions are taught in a very natural manner that’s actually fun.

 The huge grammar and expressions catalogs provide a ton of extra content.

I Don’t Like
Their app is very basic so you may prefer using the mobile version instead.

 You’ll want to work with a tutor to get more active speaking practice.

Price:

One Month Six Months One Year
Audio Only N/A $39.90 $59.90
Bronze $16.90 $64.90 $109.90
Silver $23.90 $99.90 $169.90
Gold $25.90 $169.90 $179.90
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Language Transfer Review – Better Than A Lot Of Expensive Courses

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Quick Review
Summary: The Language Transfer’s courses approach language learning with what has been coined as “The Thinking Method’. These audio courses serve as a great introduction to the nine languages currently available. They go into lots of depth on how each language works, teaching you all of the main grammar points and giving you the tools needed to learn independently and intuitively. For beginners looking to learn a language, these free courses are an effective and efficient way to start your journey.

Quality 
Might look a bit basic but the content is very well designed.
Thoroughness 
The courses don’t follow the traditional learning path but have a lot of depth.
Value 
It’s completely free and better than most paid resources.
I Like
Lessons are efficient in that they cover a lot of material in a short amount of time.

The lessons teach you a mix of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation each time and so you really come away understanding how the language is formed.

Mihalis (the founder) presents everything in a very calm and relaxed manner, thoroughly explaining everything as he goes while encouraging the student who answers his questions.

 For each language, the course is created independently and follows its own learning path.

I Don’t Like
While the content is very good quality, it could maybe do with varying the presentation a bit as there are no exercises, quizzes or work for you to produce.

The lessons kind of progress in a strange manner as you don’t follow a traditional language learning route, such as starting off with greetings, etc.

You won’t hear any native speakers on most of the courses and you don’t ever actually hear a conversation.

Price: Completely free, but if you find the courses to be useful, consider making a donation.

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The 20 Best Podcasts For Learning German – Check These Out!

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I strongly believe that everyone studying German should listen to German podcasts. Luckily, that doesn’t mean listening to something that you’ll understand nothing of. There are some great options for everyone, from beginners to nearly fluent speakers.

After all, getting lots of exposure listening to German, especially at a level suitable to your own, is one of the best ways to improve.
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